GrubHub identifies top cities for gluten-free ordering

June 19, 2013

GrubHub, an online and mobile food ordering service, has tracked the gluten-free dining trend at U.S. takeout restaurants. An analysis of 2013 GrubHub orders reveals that menu items identified as gluten-free have grown in popularity with diners by nearly 60 percent since April 2012.

To better gauge the demand for gluten-free takeout, analysts examined orders from GrubHub's network of more than 20,000 restaurants in 500-plus cities. Findings suggest that diners in the Pacific Northwest lead the demand for gluten-free options, with Seattle, Portland and Eugene, Ore., topping the list of cities with the highest percentage of gluten-free orders.

Top cities for these orders include:

Seattle

Portland

Eugene

San Jose

Chicago

Raleigh

Denver

Minneapolis

Los Angeles

Albany, N.Y.

In addition to identifying the U.S. cities with the highest gluten-free demand, GrubHub analysts determined the most popular gluten-free dishes. More than 4 percent of GrubHub restaurants now offer gluten-free options, and order data reveals specialty pizzas, salads, burgers, wraps and sandwiches to be the most-ordered.